My First Love

Chocolate never fails to light up my spirit. Growing up, I must have eaten an entire store of chocolates.

Our house then was very near a big grocery store.

They sold only imported goods .Preserves ,cake in tins and huge chocolate bars ,cornflakes and other cereals ,butters and cheeses and creamiest ice creams.

Mostly gourmet .Made in England .

Things were very expensive in that store.And the storekeepers were not the nicest people .

They would follow us around, my brother and I,or other children from the neighbourhood.

I never liked them,they were full of sweet talk, only when my dad was with us but when we were alone ,they patronised us and always wanted us to be out of the store quickly.

Perhaps we looked poor!Or perhaps at that time there were no cctv.

But many years later, when the store did not survive the financial crisis of the 80's,the owner and his partners took down the store.And most of them returned to India.But one or two stayed back and without any family or friends ,they became close to us.

My mother and father actually took care of one of them till their dying day.

Sadly,till today there's no store like that anymore, in my home town.

Have some chocolate, see you tomorrow.